Eatdrink #63 January/February 2017

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20 www.eatdrink.ca № 63 | January/February 2017 shift gradually occurred and Cook evolved into a stalwart neighbourhood crusader, revitalizer and economic developer. What distinguishes Cook’s social enterprises is that their mission combines responsible forprofit business activities with social, environmental and community objectives. Some scenes inside the Somerville Building, home to the Old East Village Grocer, The Fire Roasted Coffee Co. Café, and the London Food Incubator. The Fire Roasted Coffee Co. Launching The Fire Roasted Coffee Co. in 2006, Cook roasted coffee beans in his garage before introducing Fire Roasted Coffee at a Saturday market stall at the FAMWF. Cook wanted independence from the corporate treadmill trajectory and eventually purchased the market operation from the original owner. This was the foundation of an entrepreneurial vision that manifested in Cook becoming a cutting-edge business leader and innovator of sequential concepts and business processes. In a prime downtown heritage site known as the Wallace Building, at King and Talbot streets, Cook opened his flagship Fire Roasted Café in 2013 after a substantial renovation. This was followed by the opening of a satellite café in Wortley Village, which he has since franchised. Cook continues to renovate the building at 874 Dundas Street (directly across from the FAMWF). The repurposed premises are slated to become home to a restaurant, craft beer pub and Fire Roasted Coffee, offering a café with a patio on the west side of the building. Accompanied by his faithful bulldog Buck, Cook resides in a renovated second floor apartment above the storefront so he can maintain a close proximity to his projects. Creating environments for social enterprise, Cook leverages his networks, expertise and interest in social justice to establish collaborations and socially-minded business practices. Fire Roasted Coffee has established direct trade with producing countries to benefit the growers in more meaningful ways. Over the past decade, Cook has achieved success at the FAMWF.
№ 63 | January/February 2017 www.eatdrink.ca 21 Dave Cook at home with his faithful bulldog Buck Much of that accomplishment has been based on internal collaborations with longtime vendors and enterprising business owners like Jeff Pastorius, co-owner of On the Move Organics, The Root Cellar and London Brewing Company, Luis Rivas of True Taco, Rick Peori of All ’Bout Cheese, Philippe Lehner of Habitual Chocolate and Yam Gurung of Momo’s at the Market. In more recent years, the OEVBIA and its advisors have been working on an economic development plan to generate synergy and growth by kick-starting initiatives that capitalize on the success of the FAMWF as an informal food-business incubator and local agri-food hub. The London Food Incubator Recently, Cook established the London Food Incubator in the 14,000-square-foot Sommerville Building (formerly Somerville Paper Box Limited) at 630 Dundas Street. Building on the strategy of developing an agri-food sector for the OEV retail strip, Cook refurbished and utilized the existing infrastructure for shared space. Culinary entrepreneurs are able to set-up and develop in much the same way vendors mitigated start-up risks and grew their food businesses at the FAMWF. In the initial stage, Cook has provided space for small business incubation and food start-ups, the Old East Village Grocer (OEVG), and The Fire Roasted Coffee Co. café and production facilities. This project was initiated in part by the need for new roasting and packaging facilities for Fire Roasted Coffee, which had outgrown its premises at the market. The OEV Grocer is an independent grocery store that offers healthy and affordable food products, and doubles as a retail training space, providing customized training opportunities to persons with disabilities. The project received one of the first loans from Verge Capital, a London-based loan fund for social enterprises. It is a project of ATN Access Inc., a not-for-profit registered charity that provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to gain access to employment, reach their educational goals, and improve the quality of their lives. Businesses like Heather Pirsky’s Naturally Vegan, Kim Banma’s gluten-free bakery Urban Oven, and David Glen’s Glen Farms Herbs and Preserves jumped at the opportunity to set up shop in the London Food Incubator. Joining these start-ups is Meals on Wheels, a non-profit providing food education and a delivery hub where volunteers pick up hot meals and distribute them to hundreds of households across London. If specific sets of traits are necessary to becoming a serial social entrepreneur and prospering as a visionary, risk tolerance, ambition and drive seem to be at the top of the list. You also need tenacity, intuition, and the ability to communicate your vision effectively. Cook is a creative problem solver, adventurer and a true polymath who has an innate ability to not only see the larger picture but recognize new and viable business opportunities. BRYAN LAVERY is eatdrink’s Food Editor and Writer at Large. NICK LAVERY is owner of Take5 Digital, a London-based video production company. Reach him at nick@t5digital.com.
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